Synchronization of distributed nodes

ABSTRACT

Dynamic, untethered array nodes are frequency, phase, and time aligned/synchronized, and used to focus their transmissions of the same data coherently on a target or in the target&#39;s direction, using time reversal or directional beamforming. Information for alignment/synchronization may be sent from a master node of the array to other nodes, over non-RF links, such as optical and acoustic links. Some nodes may be connected directly to the master nodes, while other nodes may be connected to the master node through one or more transit nodes. A transit nodes may operate to (2) terminate the link when the alignment/synchronization information is intended for the node, and (2) pass through the alignment/synchronization information to another node without imposing its local clock properties on the passed through alignment/synchronization information. In this way, an end point node may be aligned/synchronized to the master node without a direct link between the two nodes.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/476,738, entitled SYNCHRONIZATION OF DISTRIBUTED NODES,filed on 9 Sep. 2014, now allowed; which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/881,393, entitled APPARATUS,METHODS, AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE FOR COLLABORATIVE ARRAYCOMMUNICATIONS INCLUDING BEAMFOCUSING OF EMISSIONS, filed on 23 Sep.2013. Each of these patent documents is hereby incorporated by referencein its entirety as if fully set forth herein, including text, figures,claims, tables, and computer program listing appendices (if present).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This document relates generally to communications. In particular, thisdocument relates to alignment (time, frequency, and/or phasesynchronization) of untethered radio frequency (RF) communication nodesof an array.

BACKGROUND

The use of multiple transmit/receive antennas in wireless networkspromises mitigation of interference and improved spectral efficienciesthrough focusing signals along a designated direction (directionalbeamforming or focusing), or on an intended receiver (location- orspot-focusing). Compared to single-antenna-to-single-antennatransmissions, transmit beamforming may yield increased range (e.g., anN-fold increase for free-space propagation), increased rate (e.g., anN²-fold increase in a power-limited regime), increased power efficiency(e.g., an N-fold decrease in the net transmitted power for a fixedreceived power), and/or may allow splitting a high data-rate stream intomultiple lower data-rate streams. (Here, N is the number of cooperativenodes or antenna elements at the transmit side.)

Distributed coherent RF transmit beamforming is a form of cooperativecommunication in which two or more nodes (that is, nodes of a nodearray) simultaneously transmit a common message, controlling the phaseand timing of their transmissions so that the transmitted signalsconstructively combine at an intended destination.

In the case of directional beamforming, the individual array nodes areconfigured as a phased array to produce a beam that is approximatelycollimated in a given direction, but the beam is not specificallyfocused to maximize power at a given location of the target receiver.Phased arrays where the locations of the individual array elements andthe target receiver are known, where the array elements areinterconnected with cables or other calibrated interconnections (e.g.,hardwired), and where a common centralized clock/time reference can bedistributed among the array elements, can be configured to operate insuch directional beamforming modes.

Decentralized arrays may be much more difficult to use as coherentbeamforming phased arrays, either in transmit mode or receive mode. In adecentralized array, the individual nodes are untethered devices withindependent clocks, i.e., without a distributed/hardwired clock orfrequency reference. Additionally, in a decentralized array the precisepositional coordinates of each node may be unknown and/or varying intime. Decentralized cooperative arrays and their operation for radiofrequency (RF) communications are described in several commonly-ownedand related patent documents, including the following:

1. International Patent Publication WO/2012/151316 (PCT/US2012/36180),entitled DISTRIBUTED CO-OPERATING NODES USING TIME REVERSAL, filed 2 May2012;

2. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/114,901, Publication Number2014-0126567, entitled DISTRIBUTED CO-OPERATING NODES USING TIMEREVERSAL, filed on 8 May 2014;

3. U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/481,720, entitledDISTRIBUTED CO-OPERATING NODES USING TIME REVERSAL FOR COMMUNICATIONS,SENSING & IMAGING, filed on 2 May 2011;

4. U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/540,307, entitledDISTRIBUTED CO-OPERATING NODES USING TIME REVERSAL FOR COMMUNICATIONS,SENSING & IMAGING, filed on 28 Sep. 2011;

5. U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/809,370, entitledAPPARATUS, METHODS, AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE FOR COLLABORATIVEBEAMFOCUSING OF RADIO FREQUENCY EMISSIONS OF RADIO FREQUENCY EMISSIONS,filed on 7 Apr. 2013;

6. U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/829,208, entitledAPPARATUS, METHODS, AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE FOR COLLABORATIVEBEAMFOCUSING OF RADIO FREQUENCY EMISSIONS, filed on 30 May 2013;

7. International Patent Application PCT/US2014/33234, entitledDISTRIBUTED CO-OPERATING NODES USING TIME REVERSAL, filed 7 Apr. 2014;and

8. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/247,229, entitled DISTRIBUTEDCO-OPERATING NODES USING TIME REVERSAL, filed on 7 Apr. 2014.

Each of the patent documents described above is hereby incorporated byreference, including Specification, Claims (if present), Figures, Tables(if present), and all other matter. We may refer to these documentscollectively as “incorporated applications” or “related patentdocuments.”

Several tasks may be necessary or desirable for a decentralizedcooperative array of nodes to operate as a directional beamforming orspot-focusing array. First, a decentralized array may need to acquirechannel information between the individual array nodes and the intendedtarget/source, and provide a mechanism for the nodes to transmit/receivea correctly-weighted signal at each of the array nodes (or “elements,”or “members,” which terms are used interchangeably), so that beamformingor focusing is achieved to within some predetermined or variableaccuracy required by the system's specification or applications.

Second, the information to be transmitted by the decentralized array toa target may need to be distributed across the array (i.e., to theindividual nodes). Alternatively, when the array is used for receivingtransmissions, the data may need to be collected from the differentnodes of the decentralized array.

Third, some control operations may need to be performed across thearray.

Fourth, the individual nodes of the decentralized array should bephase-aligned, frequency-aligned, and time-aligned, to enable the arrayto operate in a coherent manner. Achieving and maintaining suchalignment/synchronization and coordination of the array nodes isimportant to the correct operation of the array.

Some inter-nodal communications are needed in such systems. Therequirements applicable to the procedures used in the inter-nodalcommunications may be rather strict, especially those that are imposedby the need to achieve and maintain alignment/synchronization of thedifferent nodes. In an array of nodes, exceeding the clock coherencelimit may manifest as a random scrambling of the phases of the carrierwaves utilized in the beamforming or focusing, and a failure to achieveoptimal or even minimally-acceptable performance. Even with atomicclocks and with fixed locations of the nodes, the coherence limit iseventually reached, requiring re-alignment of the clocks. In sum, amethod used for alignment/synchronization should be fast enough tomaintain the alignment required for acceptable communication operationof the array, given the coherence specifications of the clocks of theindividual nodes. Moreover, there are other factors that may shorten thetime between successive re-alignments, such as the movement of the nodesand the dynamic changes in the channel responses.

Improved techniques for communications between and among nodes aredesirable, in particular improved techniques for time-phase-, and/orfrequency-aligning/synchronizing the nodes and maintaining theiralignment/synchronization in dynamic environments. Thus, needs exist inthe art for improved node-to-node communication techniques fordistributed coherent communications between an array of nodes andcommunication apparatus external to the array; for apparatus, methods,and articles of manufacture enabling such improved communications; andfor phase/frequency alignment/synchronization techniques that can beused in ad hoc nodes of a distributed array for coherent communications.

SUMMARY

Embodiments, variants, and examples described in this document aredirected to methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture that maysatisfy one or more of the above described and/or other needs.

In exemplary embodiments, dynamic, untethered nodes of an array arefrequency, phase, and time aligned/synchronized, and used to focus theirtransmissions coherently on a target or in the target's direction, usingtime reversal for location-focusing or directional beamforming.Information for alignment/synchronization may be sent from a master nodeof the array to other nodes, over non-RF links, such as optical andacoustic links. These nodes may operate as Endpoint Nodes (or end nodes)or as Transit Nodes. Some nodes may be connected by the non-RF linksdirectly (that is, without the signal traveling through any other arraynodes) to the master node, while other nodes may be connected to themaster node through several non-RF links and one or more intermediatetransit nodes. An end point node may operate to terminate a link whenthe alignment/synchronization information on the link is intended forthat node. If the node operates to pass through thealignment/synchronization information on the link to another node overanother link, without imposing the local clock properties on thepassed-through alignment/synchronization information, the node operatesas a Transit Node. A node may operate as a transit node and as an endpoint node. In this way, an end point node may be aligned/synchronizedto the master node without a direct link between the two nodes.

In an embodiment, a method of synchronizing an array of at least threead hoc nodes includes: (1) receiving from a master node of the array afirst non-radio frequency (non-RF) signal carrying a first radiofrequency (RF) signal, the step of receiving being performed at a firsttransit slave node of the array over a first non-RF side channel link,the first RF signal including properties of a local time reference ofthe master node; and (2) passing through at least a first portion of thefirst non-RF signal through the first transit slave to an end-point nodewithout imposing clock properties of the first transit slave node on thefirst portion of the first non-RF signal, the first portion of thenon-RF signal carrying at least a first portion of the first RF-signal,thereby enabling the end-point node to synchronize to the master nodeusing the properties of the local time reference of the master nodecarried by the first portion of the first RF-signal.

In aspects, the method also includes terminating a second portion of thefirst non-RF signal at the first transit slave node. The step ofterminating may be performed concurrently with the step of passingthrough.

In aspects, the step of passing through includes indirectly passingthrough the first portion of the first non-RF signal to the end-pointnode via at least one additional transit slave node.

In aspects, the step of passing through includes indirectly passingthrough the first portion of the first non-RF signal to the end-pointnode via at least one additional transit slave node.

In aspects, the step of passing through includes separating the firstportion of the first non-RF signal from the second portion of the firstnon-RF signal using an optical power splitter or a a wavelength filter.

In aspects, the method also includes synchronizing local time referenceof the end-point node to the local time reference of the master nodeusing the properties of the local time reference of the master nodeincluded in the first portion of the first RF-signal.

In aspects, the method also includes synchronizing local time referenceof the first transit slave node to local time reference of the masternode using the properties of the local time reference of the master nodecarried by the second portion of the first RF-signal.

In aspects, the method also includes transmitting the first portion ofthe first non-RF signal to the end-point node over a second non-RF sidechannel link; the first non-RF side channel link and the second non-RFside channel link are RF-over-optical or acoustic links.

In embodiments, a communication method includes synchronizing the arrayof the at least three ad hoc nodes as is described above. The methodalso includes distributing across the array common data for transmissionto a target. The method further includes coherently transmitting fromeach node of the at least three ad hoc nodes of the array to the targetRF signals carrying the common data, so that the signals carrying thecommon data add constructively in a general direction from the array tothe target and/or in a general location of the target, the step ofcoherently transmitting including directional beamforming orlocation-focusing using time-reversal.

In aspects, synchronizing the local time reference of the end-point nodeto the local time reference of the master node includes frequency,phase, and time alignment of the end-point node; and synchronizing thelocal time reference of the first transit slave node to the local timereference of the master node includes frequency, phase, and timealignment of the end-point node.

In an embodiment, a communication node includes at least onecommunication node processor; a communication node radio frequency (RF)transceiver coupled to the at least one processor; a communication nodelocal time reference; and a communication node non-RF processing modulecoupled to the at least one communication node processor. Thecommunication node non-RF processing module includes a non-RF splitterconfigured to separate a first non-RF signal received by thecommunication node into a first component terminated at thecommunication node, and a second component passed through thecommunication node, without imposing properties of the communicationnode local time reference on the second component.

In aspects, the non-RF splitter includes an optical power splitter or anoptical wavelength filter.

In an embodiment, an array of at least three ad hoc nodes includes thecommunication node described above; a master node including at least onemaster node processor, a master node RF transceiver coupled to the atleast one master node processor, a master node local time reference, anda master node non-RF processing module coupled to the at least onemaster node processor; and an end-point node including at least oneend-point node processor, an end-point node RF transceiver coupled tothe at least one end-point node processor, an end-point node local timereference, and an end-point node non-RF processing module coupled to theat least one end-point node processor. The master node is configured bythe at least one master node processor to emit the first non-RF signalover a first non-RF side channel link, the first non-RF signal carryingan RF signal including properties of the master node local timereference. The communication node is configured by the at least onecommunication node processor to synchronize the communication node localtime reference to the master node local time reference using theproperties of the master node local time reference included in the firstnon-RF signal received by the communication node. The end-point node isconfigured by the at least one end-point node processor to synchronizethe end-point node local time reference to the master node local timereference using the properties of the master node local time referencein the second component of the first non-RF signal passed through thecommunication node.

In aspects, the communication node, the master node, and the end-pointnode are configured to transmit coherently to a target RF signalscarrying common data, so that the RF signals carrying the common dataadd constructively in a general direction from the array to the targetand/or in a general location of the target.

In aspects, the communication node non-RF processing module, the masternode non-RF processing module, and the end-point non-RF processingmodule are optical processing modules; and the first non-RF signal is anoptical signal carrying an RF signal.

In aspects, the communication node non-RF processing module, the masternode non-RF processing module, and the end-point non-RF processingmodule are acoustic processing modules; and the first non-RF signal isan acoustic signal carrying an RF signal. These and other features andaspects of the present invention will be better understood withreference to the following description, drawings, and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A illustrates selected components of a communication arrangementincluding a base station and a collaborative array;

FIGS. 1B, 1C, and 1D illustrate selected aspects of variouscommunication layers of an array of nodes;

FIG. 2 illustrates selected elements of a communication apparatusconfigured in accordance with one or more features described in thisdocument;

FIG. 3 selected steps of a process of time-reversal communicationsbetween an array of collaborative nodes and a base station 110;

FIG. 4 illustrates various array architectures;

FIG. 5 illustrates selected aspects of a Star architecture

FIG. 6 illustrates selected aspects of an End Point example of an arraywith Line architecture;

FIG. 7 illustrates another example of an array with the Linearchitecture;

FIG. 8 illustrates selected components of a node that can be configuredto operate in both a Transit Slave node and an End Point nodeconfigurations;

FIG. 9 illustrates selected aspects of an optical wavelength divisionmultiplexing side channel link design; and

FIG. 10 illustrates selected steps of a Doppler compensation process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In this document, the words “embodiment,” “variant,” “example,” andsimilar words and expressions refer to a particular apparatus, process,or article of manufacture, and not necessarily to the same apparatus,process, or article of manufacture. Thus, “one embodiment” (or a similarexpression) used in one place or context may refer to a particularapparatus, process, or article of manufacture; the same or a similarexpression in a different place or context may refer to a differentapparatus, process, or article of manufacture. The expression“alternative embodiment” and similar words and expressions are used toindicate one of a number of different possible embodiments, variants, orexamples. The number of possible embodiments, variants, or examples isnot necessarily limited to two or any other quantity. Characterizationof an item as “exemplary” means that the item is used as an example.Such characterization does not necessarily mean that the embodiment,variant, or example is preferred; the embodiment, variant, or examplemay but need not be a currently preferred embodiment, variant, orexample. All embodiments, variants, and examples are described forillustration purposes and are not necessarily strictly limiting.

The words “couple,” “connect,” and similar expressions and words withtheir inflectional morphemes do not necessarily import an immediate ordirect connection, but include within their meaning connections throughmediate elements.

The expression “processing logic” should be understood as selected stepsand decision blocks and/or hardware/software/firmware for implementingthe selected steps and decision blocks. “Decision block” means a step inwhich a decision is made based on some condition, and process flow maybe altered based on whether the condition is met or not.

Array “nodes,” “elements,” and “members” are used interchangeably.

References to “receiver” (“Rx”) and “transmitter” (“Tx”) are made in thecontext of examples of data transmission from a transmitter to anintended or target receiver. For time-reversal communication techniques,the intended or target receiver may need to transmit to the transmittera sounding signal, e.g., a pulse/burst or a pilot signal, and thetransmitter may need to receive the sounding signal. Moreover, datacommunications can be bi-directional, with transceivers on both sides.In this document, the nodes of a cooperative array may be “transmitters”of data, which they transmit to an “intended receiver” (or “targetedreceiver,” “target Rx,” or simply “target”), such as a base station. Theroles may be reversed, with the cooperative array (or any of its nodes)also or instead being the intended or target receiver for thetransmissions from one or more base stations. In the event that theascribed meaning is different in a particular context, we will specifyin the context what configuration is being discussed.

A “target” thus may be an entity that emits a sounding pulse, and maygenerally include both transmit and receive functionality. Note thatalthough we may occasionally refer to a target (or equivalent terms, asmentioned above) in the singular, the general description of theprocesses and systems involved applies to multiple targets; as isdiscussed in this document and the related patent documents, an array ofnodes may transmit to multiple targets at different times,simultaneously, and/or using transmissions that partially overlap intime. Note also that a target may be a source of cooperative and/oropportunistic transmissions used for “sounding.” The “sounding” term isexplained below.

Selected examples of communication processes and architectures describedin this document and in the related patent documents allow an array ofuntethered radio frequency (RF) transmit-receive (Tx/Rx) nodes withindependent and unsynchronized clocks to achieve phase alignment,frequency alignment, and time alignment (synchronization), enabling thenodes to operate as a coherent array. For location-focusingapplications, the nodes may be configured to capture “sounding” signalsfrom one or more targets, and use time-reversal (TR) to retrodirectenergy automatically back to the target(s). In this way, the array ofnodes may be able to achieve spatio-temporal focusing of the energy onthe one or more targets. In this document, we designate the nodes ofsuch an array as “ad hoc nodes,” to signify that the ad hoc nodes havetheir own physical clocks, and the nodes are “untethered” in the sensethat they may be (1) free to move, in absolute terms (e.g., with respectto a point with fixed GPS coordinates, and/or with respect to any or allof the targets), and to move with respect to each other, and (2) free torotate around one or more axes. Some constraints on the movements ofsome or all of the nodes need not necessarily vitiate their untetheredcharacter; for example, nodes that are free to move in only one or twodimensions (and not all three dimensions) may still be ad hoc nodes,whether or not they rotate around any axis. Examples of such nodes mayinclude radios carried by a squad of soldiers; radios onboard differentaircrafts, water vessels or buoys, land vehicles, satellites; andsimilar nodes. The nodes may also be ad hoc even if they are not used inTR-communications; for example, nodes of a directional beamforming arraymay also be ad hoc nodes.

“Sounding” and its inflectional morphemes refer to transmitting a signalfrom the target and capturing the signal by the nodes of the array forthe purpose of obtaining information about channels from the nodes tothe target, for example, for forming TR signals. There are differentmodes of sounding. In accordance with the no-separation soundingapproach, targets emit overlapped sounding signals, but the channelimpulse responses (CIRs, or more generally, channel responses, CRs)might not be amenable to unique identification at the array nodes, andmay be captured in a buffer at each node of the array. In accordancewith a time-separated sounding approach, each target emits its soundingsignal (e.g., a pulse or a pilot) at times sufficiently separated sothat the nodes can deduce which target emitted the sounding signal fromthe timing of the received sounding signal. Each array node may acquireand store the channel response or the channel impulse responseseparately, with an identifier (ID) that identifies the target thatemitted the sounding signal. This identification may be based on aseparate protocol known to the array nodes. Examples of the protocolsinclude a frequency ID list, and the protocol that establishes thesequence the targets send their sounding signals. This can be performedin both the heterodyne and homodyne modes. Other protocols may also beused. In accordance with a frequency-separated sounding approach, eachtarget transmits overlapped or non-overlapped sounding signals, but theCRs can be uniquely identified by each node from different IFfrequencies. In other words, the frequencies of the soundingtransmissions differ from target to target, and the nodes can identifythe different targets from the frequencies of the soundingtransmissions. Additional sounding approaches includepolarization-separation approach, signal labeling approach in accordancewith which uniquely identifiable pulses from each of the targets aretransmitted, and still other sounding approaches.

If the CRs (which term subsumes CIR) resulting from the differenttargets are separated at the nodes of the cooperative array by separatesoundings (e.g., by different IF frequencies, or otherwise), the arraycan apply different data streams to the different CIR/CR setscorresponding to the different targets. For example, if a first targetemits a signal and each node identifies and stores its copy of the CRresulting from this signal, then each node can convolve a first datastream with the node's copy of the CR of the first target. When theconvolved signals of the array nodes are transmitted, after upconvertingto the correct carrier frequency, the signals carrying the first datastream should be coherently focused (spatially and temporally) on thefirst target. Note that all the signals may be at different IFfrequencies at the nodes, but arrive back at the target at the samefrequency; that same frequency may be the frequency of the soundingtransmission from the first target, or it may be another frequency.(Preferably, the array transmits on the same frequency as the soundingfrequency, or a frequency sufficiently close to the sounding frequencyso that the channel response does not differ appreciably between the twofrequencies.) At other locations, including the locations of the othertargets, the transmissions from the nodes of the cooperative array willgenerally not combine constructively, and an observer at the otherlocations should see only incoherent signals without coherent data thatcan be detected and decoded. In general, the signals will combineconstructively only at the location of the target that emitted thesounding pulse and whose time-reversed CRs were utilized by the arrayfor the retrodirected transmission of the data stream.

If the CRs/CIRs from the different targets are not separable andconsequently are combined as a composite sounding signal in a buffer ateach node of the cooperative array, then a single data stream may bebroadcast to all the targets. To do so, each of the nodes is configuredto convolve the data stream with the node's composite (andtime-reversed) CR which is the combination of the sounding signals fromall the different targets that emitted the sounding signals. The TRtransmissions from the multiple nodes of the array will then focus thesame data stream at the multiple targets whose time-reversed CRs/CIRswere included in the composite sounding signals in the nodes' buffers.If a target did not emit a sounding signal, no coherent data stream willgenerally appear at that target.

The sounding signals from the different targets may not be easily“separable” at the nodes of the cooperative array. An example of suchcircumstances is when the sounding signals are overlapping in time, usethe same frequency, and do not carry information from which the targetscan be distinguished. Although the resultant multipath signal may appearchaotic and complex at the nodes of the array, the spatial distributionof the antennas may create a deterministic signature which can be usedto identify the component of the signal arriving from each target. Ateach node, the composite signal can be deconstructed using an eigenvaluedecomposition method that is capable of separating out the differentsignal components. For example, Singular Value Decomposition or SVD maybe used for separation of the different components. Singular ValueDecomposition and identification of specific sources of emission (e.g.,the targets) from a combined signal are described in the related patentdocuments and in a commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/462,514, entitled ANTI-GEOLOCATION, 2 May 2012, which is alsoincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Briefly, the application of eigenvalue decomposition to a compositesignal can decompose the signal into its individual components, which,when time-reversed, focus on the multiple sources (e.g., A, B, C and D)independently. It is then possible selectively to choose to omit ormodify the properties (e.g., gain) of each eigenstate independently. Ifthe TR version of eigenstate corresponding to the source B (by way ofexample) is not launched from each node (or a subset of nodes) of thearray, then no signal is focused at the source B. In this example, again of zero is effectively applied to the eigenstate B, and unity gainto each of the other eigentstates. The node may be configured so that ithas the ability to apply independently to each eigenstate any arbitrarygain from zero to essentially infinity, or gain modulated by a datasequence. Other nodes of the array may be similarly configured andperform analogous processes. The individual gain functions can bedifferent, but the data sequences applied at each node may be the same.

As should be apparent to a person skilled in the art after perusal ofthis document, the TR communication techniques operate to suppress thesignal at unauthorized receivers (snoopers), whether the location of theintended target is known or not known. A snooper may be able to removethe scrambling if the snooper uses a directional antenna to observe asingle node of the cooperative array. The snooper's gain, however, maythen be much lower than the gain on the authorized channel (that is, thechannel to the intended target or one of the intended targets). It canbe estimated that, in many situations, the difference in gain may oftenbe 20-30 dB. In examples, the cooperative array is configured to operatea channel to an intended target at the SNR threshold for error-freeperformance, or slightly above (e.g., 1-3 dB) above the threshold. Inthe above example this may result in the snooper receiving a signal20-30 dB below the SNR threshold for error-free performance, therebyreducing the snooper's opportunity to eavesdrop, because the snooperdoes not benefit from the coherent gain that the array provides to theintended target(s).

A more complex coding system may be implemented to add protection to thedata transmitted by the cooperative array so the data stream cannot beacquired by a snooper observing a single array node. For example, a datastream to be transmitted from the array may first be split into I (twoor more) separate and uniquely different streams using a code that hasthe property that when the original data stream is broken into Idifferent substreams, and then the I substreams sum together with equalamplitude, the sum re-creates the original data stream. A TR-enabledarray may emit different substreams from each array member (or from adifferent subset of array members). However, since TR can enable Isubstreams to overlap and add spatially at the target, TR with theadditional requirement of amplitude balancing of the emitted signals mayrecreate the original data stream at the target.

The amplitudes of the different substreams arriving at the target may bebalanced, but at the same time they may appear unbalanced when they areemitted. Assuming (α_(m0), α_(m1), . . . , α_(mn)) are the amplitudes ofimpulses received at the array and which originated as a sounding pulsefrom the target m, then emitting the time reversed version of thesequence

$K\left( {\frac{\gamma_{m\; 0}}{\alpha_{m\; 0}},\frac{\gamma_{m\; 1}}{\alpha_{m\; 1}},\ldots \mspace{14mu},\frac{\gamma_{mn}}{\alpha_{mn}}} \right)$

ensures that all the signals arriving at the intended target are of(substantially) equal amplitude and should spatially sum to provide acoherent signal. Here, K is an amplitude adjustment constant appliedequally across all array nodes. This allows the system to ensure thatsignal levels lie within the range appropriate for the RF electronics atthe nodes. The terms γ_(mn) allow individual nodes to apply localadjustments for signal optimization purposes. The benefit of thistechnique is that the spatial code ensures that no single substreamcontains all the information in the original data stream, and generallythe only location where amplitude balance and constructive timealignment are possible is the intended target that emitted the soundingsignal.

Note that TR may provide multipath gain in addition to the array gain.

Time-reversal techniques may be applied not only to data communications,but also to power focusing (electro-magnetic pulse or EMP), and anyother applications requiring selectivity.

Control and configuration of the array for cooperative tasks (such astransmission of data to target(s)) may rely on communications betweenand among the array nodes. For example, the array nodes may need toagree on which target to send data to, what power levels should be usedin transmitting to the target, and exchange other information needed forvarious communication layers. The inter-nodal communications are alsoneeded to synchronize/align the nodes to make coherent transmissionspossible, including clock synchronization/alignment, phasesynchronization/alignment, and/or frequency synchronization/alignment.Other tasks for which inter-nodal communication may be needed includedistribution across the array of the data for transmission to thetarget(s), and collection of data received by the array cooperativelyfrom the target(s).

In some embodiments, one of the nodes in the array is defined as themaster node which can be set as a de-facto reference foralignment/synchronization of the other nodes of the array, referred toas slave nodes. Embodiments of the cooperative array implement aprocedure where the slave nodes are phase, frequency, and timealigned/synchronized to the master node. When this is done, the arraymay be set up to ensure that, if the cooperative array protocol is used,the array will automatically location-focus the signals on an externaltarget, with fading eliminated or reduced and without requiringknowledge of the target's position. The node designated as the maternode may change during operation, for example, in response to thevarying dynamic conditions of the environment and/or of the array. Themaster node may also be responsible for other functions, such as controland coordination of the array, distribution of data for transmission tothe target, collection of data received from the target, and still otherfunctions.

In TR-based location-focusing embodiments, the cooperative array mayemit signals at the same start and finish times across the array, basedon a common time reference. The accuracy of the time synchronizationacross the cooperative array need not be perfect, but may be accurate toa reasonable fraction (e.g., 1/10) of the sounding pulse envelope—not ofthe carrier frequency period. This feature may permit, for example,nano-second alignment accuracy, instead of femto-second alignmentaccuracy. The array nodes do not necessarily require to measure thearrival times of the sounding pulses at each of their receivers, andeach node does not necessarily require knowledge of the arrival times ofthe sounding pulses at any other node of the array. But the nodes doneed to capture the sounding pulse and may need to agree on the “capturewindow,” that is, the time period within which the nodes of the arrayattempt to capture the sounding pulse. The master node (or anotherassigned node) may be given the responsibility for determining the startand the duration of the capture window (or, alternatively, the start andfinish times), to ensure that the array nodes are “listening” when thesounding pulse is emitted, and that the capture window (which isessentially defined as the time period over which the nodes arecapturing any arriving signals generated by the sounding pulse) is longenough so that every node of the cooperative array will capture thesounding signal, including its significant multipath components, ifpresent. In embodiments, the master node can ensure that the capturewindow is long enough by assuming the window is longer than the worstcase of the sum of the two longest propagation delays between the masternode and the slave nodes. This may be particularly useful for caseswhere the target is Line-of-Sight (LOS) or weakly Non-LOS (NLOS) to thecooperative array.

For situations in which there is severe multipath that extends over timeperiods that greatly exceed (e.g., by a factor of 10 or more) theinter-nodal propagation time, the master node may be configured toextend the capture window by the excess time, or longer. There are manytechniques by which the master node can acquire the knowledge regardingthe length of multipath and node-to-node delays. For example, the masternode can be configured to set an initial capture window of a very longduration, and share this information with the other nodes of thecooperative array. After the nodes of the array capture the soundingsignal, each slave node calculates the extent of the sounding pulse plusany multipath decay spreads and communicates this information to themaster node. The master node then determines the actual capture windowrequired, possibly including an additional time margin, and communicatesthe new capture window parameters (start/stop times, or one of thestart/stop times and duration, for example) to the slave nodes. Thenodes of the array then proceed to acquire a new sounding pulse usingthe new capture window. In an alternative approach, the nodes actuallycapture the sounding signal over a long time period and the master nodesimply decides how to reduce this period into a shorter capture windowby using only the segment between different time stamps applied to thewhole signal, without using a new sounding for this purpose.

One of the more challenging cases is presented when a large array with awide spatial distribution of nodes is used to focus a signal on a targetwhose presence is known (from the signals emitted by the target, forexample), but whose location is not known to the array. A directionalbeamforming array may attempt to send a beam in the general direction ofthe target with the beam's power maximally concentrated in that generaldirection (as the direction is estimated). A TR node array, however, maybe configured to focus its collaborative transmission on the desiredtarget, without actual knowledge of the location of the target. Thus,when the full angle Field of View (FOV) of the cooperative array (asobserved from the target) becomes large, and in particular when thearray is randomly distributed through space, it may be difficult for aconventional system to produce even directional beamforming in ameaningful manner. Time-reversal communications, however, may work wellfor the high FOV distributed arrays. Furthermore, a cooperative TR arraywith its nodes distributed in three dimensions may be able automaticallyto focus its transmissions in three dimensions, including the elevationdimension.

The captured signals used in the sounding process may be “cooperativesignals” or “collaborative signals,” that is, signals sent by the targetfor the purpose (or one of the purposes) of allowing the nodes of thearray to obtain estimates of the channels between the target and thenodes; the captured signals may also be “opportunistic,” sent from thetarget for some other purpose.

FIG. 1A illustrates in a high level, block-diagram manner, selectedcomponents of a communication arrangement 100. This arrangement includesan array of ad hoc nodes 105 that communicate with each other. As shown,the array 105 includes five distributed cooperating nodes, 105-1 through105-5. In similar arrangements, the array 105 may include any number ofa plurality of nodes 105, for example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, ormore. The arrangement 100 also includes a base station 110, a target.

The nodes 105 may be within Line-of-Sight or Non-Line-of-Sight of eachother, and may communicate directly with each other via side channellinks 120. As shown, the links 120-1, 120-2, and 120-4 connect the node105-3 to each of the nodes 105-1, 105-2, and 105-4, respectively; andthe link 120-5 connects the node 105-4 to the node 105-5. The node 105-3may thus communicate directly with each of the nodes 105-1, 105-2, and105-4. The node 105-3 may communicate with the node 105-5 indirectly,through the node 105-4 and the links 120-4 and 120-5. This is just oneexample. More generally, any of the nodes 105 may be connected by suchside channel link 120 to any of the other nodes 105, and any of thenodes may lack a direct link to any other node (or nodes), andcommunicate with such other nodes through intermediate nodes andmultiple (two or more) links. The side channel links 120 may beimplemented, for example, using short-range RF link such as a Bluetooth®link, WiFi, or other short-, medium-, and longer-range RF technologies.The side channel links 120 may also be implemented using non-RFtechnologies and transmission media, including optical technologies,such as free-space or guided optics, and sound/acoustic (ultrasound)technologies. A more detailed discussion of the architecture of the sidechannel links 120 and their underlying technologies, with examples, willbe provided below.

FIG. 2 illustrates selected elements of an apparatus 200 configured inaccordance with one or more features described in this document. Theapparatus may be any of the cooperative nodes 105 and/or the basestation 110. The apparatus may include a processor 205; a storage device210 (which may store program code for execution by the processor 205);an RF receiver 220 configured to receive radio frequency signals, suchas sounding pulses; an RF transmitter 215 configured to transmit radiofrequency signals, such as collaborative communications to a basestation; one or more RF transmit and receive antennas 225 coupled to thereceiver 220 and the transmitter 215; and a non-RF processing module227, such as an optical or acoustic transceiver and associated signalprocessing devices. A bus 230 couples the processor 205 to the storagedevice 210, the receiver 220, the transmitter 215, and the non-RFprocessing module 227; and allows the processor 205 to read from andwrite to these devices, and otherwise to control operation of thesedevices. In embodiments, additional receivers and/or transmitters arepresent and coupled to the processor 205.

The nodes 105 may be configured to communicate coherently (in asynchronized and coherent manner) with the base station 110. Thecommunication is “coherent” in the sense that the nodes 105 can transmitthe same data to the base station 110 in a synchronized manner so thatthe radio frequency transmissions from all or a plurality of the nodes105 add coherently in time and space at the receiving antenna(s) of thebase station 110; such coherent communications include directionalbeamforming and location-focusing.

FIG. 3 illustrates selected steps of a process 300 for an array ofcollaborative nodes, such as the nodes 105, to transmit data to atarget, such as the base station 110, using time reversal.

At flow point 301, the nodes of the array 105 and the base station 110are powered up, initialized, and ready to communicate.

In step 305, the nodes 105 are aligned/synchronized. A single node 105(for example, a selected master node) may be used to set a commontime/frequency/phase reference for all the nodes of the array.Alignment/synchronization of nodes may be performed as is described inthe related patent documents, particularly in (1) International PatentPublication WO/2012/151316 (PCT/US2012/36180), entitled DISTRIBUTEDCO-OPERATING NODES USING TIME REVERSAL, filed 2 May 2012; (2) U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/114,901, Publication Number 2014-0126567,entitled DISTRIBUTED CO-OPERATING NODES USING TIME REVERSAL, filed on 8May 2014; and (3) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/247,229, entitledDISTRIBUTED CO-OPERATING NODES USING TIME REVERSAL, filed on 7 Apr.2014. Alternatively, the alignment/synchronization may be performedotherwise. In the end, all the nodes 105 are aligned/synchronized, andcan emit simultaneous signals for coherent communications such asdirectional beamforming and location-focusing.

In step 310, the base station 110 transmits to the nodes 105 a soundingsignal. The sounding signal may be a cooperative signal or anopportunistic signal. The sounding signal may be a sharp pulseapproaching an impulse, a Gaussian pulse, chirp, barker code, Gold code,or another appropriate burst with substantially-flat frequency responsein the communication band of interest. The sounding signal may beselected to have a good autocorrelation function (i.e., approaching thatof an impulse function), as is known in communication theory and relatedfields (e.g., CDMA, autocorrelation radar).

In step 315, each of the nodes 105 receives, captures, samples, andstores the received sounding signal. Each of the nodes 105-N may thusstore the channel response CR_(N) between itself and the base station110 (or analogous information). The same master node as was used forsynchronization in the step 305 may instruct each of the nodes 105 touse the same or substantially same temporal window toreceive/capture/sample the sounding signal from the base station 110.The windows across the array 105 may be identical in lengths and mayhave the same center times. Each node 105 may be instructed by themaster node when to start looking for the sounding pulse, and when tostop. This timeframe may be referred to as the “capture window,” thatis, the time period during which all the transmitters are attempting toreceive the sounding signal. There are other ways to receive thesounding signal at the nodes 105. For example, the capture windows donot necessarily need to be at the same times or be of the same lengths,but should have a common symmetry point on which to mirror theirtransmissions.

In step 320, each of the nodes 105 performs time reversal on its storedsounding signal, obtaining and storing its time-reversed channelresponse TR-CR_(N). In practice, this step is an approximation oftime-reversal, because causality limits the length of each recordedCR_(N). The TR-CR_(N) of a particular node 105 is a time-reversedcaptured window of the particular node 105. The time-reversal may beperformed at carrier frequency, an intermediate frequency, or baseband.

In step 325, each of the nodes 105 obtains payload data that the array105 intends to transmit to the base station 110. The payload data may bedistributed, for example, from one or several of the nodes 105 to theremaining nodes, using the side channel links 120. The payload data maybe distributed from the master node. The payload data may originate atthe master node, another node 105, two or more of the nodes 105, or allof the nodes 105.

In step 330, each of the nodes 105 may generate its data forcollaborative transmission to the target. For example, each node mayconvolve its respective time-reversed channel response TR-CR_(N) withthe common payload data, to obtain its respective data for transmission,DT_(N).

In step 335, a selected node 105 may send a reference transmission, suchas a short pulse, to the remaining nodes 105; the remaining nodes 105may receive the reference transmission sent by the selected node 105.The selected node 105 may be the master node or another node. Several oreach of the nodes 105 may be capable of being the master node, and theselection or rotation of the master node role among the nodes 105capable of being the master node may be predetermined or performed inthe field using various predetermined conventions.

In step 340, each of the nodes 105 transmits its carrier with therespective convolved data DT_(N). This step is performed by the nodes105 simultaneously, for example, following a predetermined time durationS after the emission of the reference transmission. The length of thepredetermined time duration S is preferably longer than the SignalFlight Time (SFT) between the selected node 105 (e.g., the master node)and each of the remaining nodes 105. In this way, all of the nodes 105transmit their respective data DT_(N) coherently, at the same time. Allof the nodes 105 can measure the length of the time period S based onthe same time reference; for example, each of the nodes 105 measures Sbased on the clock of the selected node 105. The nodes 105 have theinformation needed to correct their internal time/clock references,because of the synchronization/alignment in the step 305.

The time-reversal process equalizes both the delays of the multipathsignatures and the propagation delay differences, so that all thesignals from the nodes arrive at the base station 110 at substantiallythe same times, creating array gain and multipath gain. No intentionalgain is obtained at an unintended (hostile) transceiver, because nomatched filtering or alignment generally occurs at any other locationbut the intended receiver (the base station 110, the target). Amulti-node transmit array may thus permit significant power reductionand/or range increase in an NLoS multipath channel.

In step 345, the base station 110 (the intended receiver/target)receives the transmissions from the nodes 105. Because of the propertiesof time-reversal communications, the received transmissions addconstructively in time-space at the base station 110. The properties oftime reversal communications cause such coherent focusing, without theneed to synchronize the nodes 105 to the base station 110. The timereversal process removes many of the sources of timing errors. The datapulse shape is derived from recording the sounding, so fixed timingdelays are removed during the time reversal process.

In effect, the ad hoc distributed nodes 105 act similarly to a singletransmitter with multiple spatially-diverse antenna elements. Amongpotential benefits of this technique is the ability to communicatecollectively with the base station 110 in situations where a single node105 may not be powerful enough to close the connection to the basestation 110 on its own, for example, due to insufficient signalstrength, high noise or interference levels, and/or other reasons forpoor link reliability.

The process 300 may then terminate at flow point 399, and be repeated asneeded.

The side channel links 120 may be RF links. In embodiments, the links120 operate on one or more RF frequencies that are different from thefrequency (frequencies) of the “main” RF channel, that is, the channelbetween the array and the target. While the main RF channel is bydefinition in the RF domain, it is possible to operate the side channellinks by which the array is aligned/synchronized using othercommunication media, for example, optics and acoustic. One reason whynon-RF media may be desirable for the operation of the side channellinks 120 is to guard against RF emissions, which can be detected andcan even be used for the purposes of geolocation or hostile targeting ofthe array. Another reason is that highly collimated optical beams mayexhibit substantial immunity to interference. Yet another reason is thatthere are various weather conditions that may prevent RF communications,while allowing other media communications that are sufficiently robustfor the purposes of aligning the array via the side channel links 120.For example, heavy rain may seriously impact some RF propagation modes,while allowing short-range optical communications.

The non-RF media may place various restrictions on the side channellinks 120 and on the ways the signals propagating through these linksmay be used. The typically omnidirectional behavior of RF antennasusually means that a single RF signal may be emitted from one of thenodes 105 (e.g., the master node) and, if there are no path blockages,the signal will likely reach another node 105 independently of what ishappening at any other node 105. Even if multiple nodes lie in a line,it is rare for any one node 105 to block the RF signal and prevent othernodes 105 from receiving the signal. Thus, one node 105 emits thesignal, and each remaining node 105 can receive some component of thesignal without significantly attenuating the signal reaching theremaining nodes 105. This situation may change with a move away from RFfrequencies, especially in the case of optical signals. Optical signalsmay be focused into collimated free-space beams or be sent along fiberoptic or other waveguides. Techniques for fractional tapping of guidedsignals have been developed, whereby some of the signal is tapped andterminated at a node and the remaining untapped fraction is propagatedonwards, to other nodes. This same technique can be used for free-spacebeams. Attempting this type of splitting in field-deployed free-spaceoptical links, particularly links where the end point nodes are inmotion, is a challenging problem, however. Additionally, placing anoptical detector directly in the path of another node tends to causesevere shadowing at the short wavelengths of optical signals. Opticaldetectors typically absorb nearly all the energy falling on them, and,unlike a dipole antenna, do not re-emit a meaningful fraction of thesignal. Optical beams also experience little diffraction, which meansthat they usually do not re-converge behind the object and do notfill-in the shadow.

FIGS. 1B, 1C, and 1D illustrate at a high-level an example of thecommunication layer architecture of an array of nodes 155-N. In thesefigures, four nodes a shown: a master node 155-1 that is responsible foralignment/synchronization of the array in this example; and slave nodes155-2, 155-3, and 155-4. The communications between the nodes 155 may beimplemented using free-space optics, for example. FIG. 1B shows anexemplary physical layout of the array; note, however, that the physicalarrangement may be a dynamically-varying one, with the nodes 155 movingwith respect to each other in any or all three dimensions. FIG. 1C showsthe data link layer of the array of the nodes 155. FIG. 1D shows thephysical layer of the array. In the latter figure, the nodes 155-2,105-3, and 105-4 include optical directional couplers (used assplitters) 158-2, 158-3, and 158-4, respectively. The master node 155-1may also include such an optical directional coupler (not shown).

In operation, the master node 155-1 may attempt to create an independentconnection (over side channel link) to each of the slave nodes 155-2/3/4at the transport and network layer. At the data link layer, however, thesignals from the master node 155-1 may pass through intermediate nodes,and each of the slave nodes 155 may decide whether to terminate areceived signal at that node, or pass it through because the signal isintended for another slave node 155. As shown, a signal from the masternode 155-1 may be terminated at the slave node 155-2, or it may bepassed to the slave node 155-3. If the signal is intended for the slavenode 155-3, the slave node 155-3 may terminate the signal; if the signalis not intended for the slave node 155-3, the slave node 155-3 may passit to the slave node 155-4. The slave node 155-4 may in its turndetermine whether the signal is intended for it, and terminate thesignal in this case; or pass it still further to another node (notshown).

Similarly, the signals from some of the slave nodes 155 may pass throughthe intermediate nodes on their way to the master node 155-1 or anotherslave node.

At the physical layer, FIG. 1D, the system is shown as a single lightpipe; the pipe may have the ability to run many (two or more) channelsat different wavelengths and/or different bandwidths. Each slave node155-2/3/4 has an embedded optical directional coupler (used as asplitter) 158-2/3/4 that enables the node to tap into the signal andselect out a component of the signal that is of interest to that node,and pass the other components (possibly after amplification) to anothernode. In some embodiments, a fraction of the total power of signal isremoved and used by the intermediate/transit slave node. In someembodiments, the node may be frequency selective and tap (or partiallytap) one or more wavelengths of the signal, allowing other signalssubstantially to pass through. Other possible examples of tapping modesinclude polarization-based and optical mode-based selectivity.

The directional couplers 158 may be bidirectional, and the nodes 155 maybe configured to determine whether a tapped signal component istravelling from a slave node 155-N to the master node 155-1, or from themaster node 155-1 to one or more of the slave nodes 155-N. Moregenerally, the side channel link hardware of the slave nodes may bedirection-sensitive. Thus, a transit slave node may pass through(directly or indirectly) a signal from the master node to an end pointslave node without imposing the clock properties of the transit node onthe signal that is passed through to the end point slave; similarly, thetransit slave node may pass through (directly or indirectly) a signalfrom the slave node to the master node without imposing the clockproperties of the transit node on the signal that is passed through tothe master node.

In embodiments, the nodes 155 are configured so that the optical signalwhich passes through an intermediate node 155 and is destined foranother node 155 does not undergo termination and regeneration at theintermediate node 155, but passes transparently through the intermediatenode 155, although optical amplification or other process at the analoglevel may be permitted as long as they do not affect (that is, do notsubstantially distort) the clock information embedded in the signal fromthe node which generated the signal. Thus, the intermediate nodes do notterminate the optical signal by converting it to an electrical signaland then retransmit the digital data of the signal on a new opticalcarrier. Such “termination and regeneration” of the signal imposesproperties of the local clock of the intermediate node 155 which isperforming the regeneration of the signal; as has been indicated, thisis not done here. Thus, the clock information that is intrinsic to thenode that generated the signal is preserved as the signal travelsthrough the intermediate nodes 155, allowing one end node 155 (e.g., thenode 155-4) to compare its clock to the clock of another node (e.g., themaster node 155-1).

Given the high bandwidth of optical transmission systems, it is feasibleto place onto an optical channel link an entire RF signal, both carrierand information-containing modulation envelope. In embodiments, the sidechannel links are implemented using such “RF-over-optics”communications. In other words, the side channel links are optical, withthe RF signals of the nodes being placed onto (e.g., modulating) theoptical carriers of the side channel links. In embodiments, the sidechannel links are implemented using “IF-over-optics,” with anintermediate frequency (IF) generated in the RF domain being placed onto(e.g., modulating) the optical carriers of the side channel links. Inembodiments, the side channel links are implemented with the basebandsignal placed onto (e.g., modulating) the optical carrier.

Many different physical network architectures may be used tointerconnect the nodes of the collaborative array. FIG. 4 shows selectedaspects of examples of the following physical arrayconfigurations/architectures: (1) Star/Round Robinconfiguration/architecture, (2) Ring configuration/architecture, (3)Partially-Connected Mesh configuration/architecture, (4) Fully-ConnectedMesh configuration/architecture, (5) Line configuration/architecture,(6) Tree configuration/architecture, and (7) Busconfiguration/architecture. Note that FIG. 4 illustrates simpleinterconnectivity, and not Open System Interconnection (OSI) modelhierarchy.

Recall that the side channel links may be used by the array nodes toalign/synchronize their local phases, frequencies, and reference clocktimes; for example, each slave node 105-2/3/4 may align/synchronize tothe reference of the master node 105-1; and the slave nodes 155-2/3/4may align synchronize to the master node 155-1. In some cases, theactual node which plays the role of master node may be selectedarbitrarily or randomly and each array node (e.g., 105, 155) caninteract with any other node of the array. The Bus and the FullyConnected Mesh architectures are examples of such cases. The Stararchitecture is an example of a network architecture where the masternode may be the central node and the slaves nodes do not connect to eachother directly, but rather indirectly through the central master node.The Star architecture does not necessarily exclude configurations wherethe master node is not the central node and communicates with all orsome of the slave nodes through the central node.

FIG. 5 illustrates selected aspects of the Star architecture, where amaster node 505-1 is connected directly (no intermediate/transit nodes)with each of the slave nodes 505-2, 505-3, and 505-4. Here, the sidechannel links 520-2, 520-3, and 520-4 may implement RF-over-opticscommunications between the master node 505-1 and, respectively, theslave nodes 505-2, 505-3, and 505-4. The alignment/synchronization ofthe array may be performed in a sequential round-robin fashion, usingtime-division duplexing (TDD). The array may also bealigned/synchronized simultaneously or substantially simultaneously,using communications on different RF frequencies (i.e., frequencyDivision Duplexing or FDD). In some embodiments, the simultaneouscommunications may be carried out on different optical wavelengths,using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), whether or not the opticalsignal was modulated with baseband, IF, or RF carrier. Simultaneousalignment/synchronization is particularly useful for arrays with largenumbers of nodes, high frequency clocks, and/or low-cost clocks usingquartz crystals, because sequential process may exceed the availableclock coherence time or other time limits that constrain the alignmentprocess of the array.

An “End Point” variant of the Line architecture is shown in FIG. 6.Here, a master node 605-1 is the first (or last, depending on thevantage point) node in the line, and the slave nodes 605-2/3/4 mayalign/synchronize to the master node 605-1. It is thealignment/synchronization process that defines a node as an End Pointnode, meaning that the master node is attempting to synchronize theclock at that node with the master node's own clock.

The slave node 605-2 is the nearest neighbor to the master node 605-1and aligns/synchronizes directly to the master node 605-1, over a sidechannel link 620-2. Other slave nodes may also align/synchronize to thesame master node 605-1, either directly or indirectly; we will return tothis below in the description of FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 shows another Line architecture example. Here, a slave node 705-5has no direct connection to a master node 705-1, and the side channellink connection between the nodes 705-1 and 705-5 passes through otherslave nodes (705-2, 705-3, 705-4, with the latter two also not having adirect connection to the master node). This may be typical in an opticalinterconnect environment. The slave nodes 705-2/3/4 here play a newrole, which we refer to as the “Transit Slave” node role. In this case,the optical (or other) signal from the master node 705-1 to the slavenode 705-5 is routed to bypass the clocks located at the Transit Slavenodes 705-2/3/4. The Transit Slave nodes 705-2/3/4 are now consideredpart of the optical pipe that enables the master node 705-1 to connectto the slave node 705-5 further down the chain, with the slave node705-5 operating as an End Point node. The goal is that the slave node705-5 and the master node 705-5 can align/synchronize clocks withoutsubstantial distortion caused by the Transit Slave nodes 705-2/3/4 tothe clock information passed from the master node 705-1 to the End Pointslave 705-5. In other words, the slave node 705-5 obtains the clockinformation of the master node 705-1 from the optical (or other) signalwhich has traversed the Transit Slave nodes 705-2/3/4 on its way fromthe master node 705-1. To achieve this, each of the Transit Slave nodes705-2/3/4 includes module(s) to enable it to be configured in a bypassmode, which permits the Transit Slave node to bypass its internal clockprocess in allowing the optical (or other) signal to transit as ananalog signal whose transit delay is not corrupted by the clock of theTransit Slave nodes. The Transit Slave nodes 705-2/3/4 thus do notimpose their internal clock properties on the signal thataligns/synchronizes the slave node 705-5 to the master node 705-1.

The slave node 705-5 may also receive other information from the masternode 705-1, for example, payload data for transmission to the basestation, and control information. It is not necessary that such otherinformation be unaffected by the clocks of the Transit Nodes. In otherwords, the payload information may be re-clocked at the Transit Slavenodes.

Some nodes, such as the nodes 705-2/3/4, may be configured to functionsimultaneously as End Point nodes and Transit Slave nodes. Indeed, whena slave node itself is aligned to the master node, it is an End Pointnode; the same node may also serve as a Transit Node for passing signalsto another slave node. A node may be configured, for example, tofunction as an End Point node for one signal on a first opticalwavelength (where the side channel links are WDM links), while at thesame time to function as a Transit Slave node on a second and differentoptical wavelength. As another example, a node may be configured tosplit the same optical signal of a side channel link into two componentsand act as an End Point node for one of the components, while at thesame time functioning as a Transit Slave node for another component. Instill other examples, a node may be configured to split an optical beaminto two signals based on polarization (or optical propagation mode),and simultaneously act as an End Point node for a first of the twopolarizations (or modes) and as a Transit Slave node for the second anddifferent polarization (or mode).

In some embodiments, the side channel links are acoustic. Someproperties of acoustic signals may be similar to those of RF signals ina star configuration, where the acoustic waves propagateomnidirectionally. The acoustic signals, however, may exhibit dispersionmore significant than dispersion of RF signals. Acoustic signals mayalso operate in full or partial waveguide modes and, in such cases, theymay behave more like optical signals.

In the examples given throughout this document, it is the master nodethat is aligning/synchronizing the clocks at the slave nodes with itsown clock. In variants, however, the master node and one or more slavenodes align/synchronize to a common external reference clock. Moreover,the role of the master node, that is, the node that directs thesynchronization operations and/or distributes across the array the datato be transmitted to the target, may be assigned to different nodes ofthe array at different times. In embodiments, the role of the masternode may be assigned to different nodes depending on their physicalposition relative to other nodes of the array. For example, the masternode may be selected to be the node that is closest to the center ofgravity of the array, giving equal weight to each of the array nodes.The master node may be selected from among the nodes that are capable ofcommunicating with all the other nodes of the array over the sidechannel links, and the selection of a new master node may be triggeredas the current node loses access to one (or another predeterminednumber) of the other nodes of the array over the side channel links.Here, “loses access” means that at least one metric representative ofthe quality of the side channel link, such as signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) or error rate (e.g., bit error rate or BER) fails to meet apredetermine standard. The at least one metric may be derived frommultiple other metrics.

In embodiments, two or more nodes of the array concurrently perform somefunctions of the master node. For example, one master node canalign/synchronize a second master node (and possibly one or more of theremaining nodes) to itself, and the second master node can thenalign/synchronize some or all of the remaining nodes of the array toitself. Data to be collaboratively transmitted from the array may bedistributed across the array by one master node or jointly by multiplemaster nodes, and/or by one or more slave nodes. Generally, a masternode is a node to which one or more other nodes arealigned/synchronized.

FIG. 8 shows selected components of an exemplary array node 805, whichcan be configured to operate in both a Transit Slave node and an EndPoint node. As a person of skill in the art would understand afterperusal of this document, other components would typically also bepresent in the node 805, such as the components 205 (processor(s)), 210(storage), 215 (RF transmitter), and 220 (RF receiver) of the apparatus200 illustrated in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 8, the node 805 includes a receive coupling lens 815that is configured to receive optical signals from free space and couplethem into a receive optical amplifier 820. The receive optical amplifier820 amplifies the received signal and sends it into an optical splitter825. The splitter 825 separates the signal into a first receivedcomponent 816 and a second received component 817. The first receivedcomponent is processed by the optical and electronic circuitry of thenode 805 that terminate this signal (if needed), including terminatingTX/RX optics 830, RX electronics 835, and internal node clock 840. Forexample, the first component may be used to align/synchronize the node805, and to receive the data to be transmitted to the target. The secondcomponent 817 is guided to a transmit optical amplifier 845, whichamplifies it and sends it toward a transmit coupling lens 850. Thetransmit coupling lens 850 couples the signal to free space, towardsanother node, which can operate as an End Point node, a Transit Slavenode, or both.

As noted above, the optical splitter 825 may be a splitter in theconventional sense, that is, a splitter that separates the power of thereceived signal into two components 816/817 based onpartially-transparent, partially-reflecting prism, with the opticalproperties of the two components (such as polarization, wavelength,mode) being the same or substantially the same. Another device may besubstituted for the optical splitter 825, to separate the components816/817 based on the optical properties (again, polarization,wavelength, optical propagation mode, etc.).

Importantly, the internal node clock 840 does not affect the secondcomponent 817 of the optical signal, and consequently the signal coupledby the lens 850 to free space preserves the clock properties of thereceived signal coupled by the receive coupling lens 815.

The architecture illustrated in FIG. 8 may be used as part of afree-space optical transmission link. The optical signal is convertedback to a fiber system within the node 805, for separate Transit Slaveand End Point processing. This also allows the inclusion of opticalamplifiers 820 and 845 into a free-space architecture. In embodiments,these devices may be implemented as single-mode Erbium doped fiberamplifiers (EDFAs), Raman optical amplifiers, semiconductor opticalamplifiers (SOAs), and or other optical amplifiers and/or combinationsof different types of optical amplifiers.

Since the ad hoc nodes of the array may be in motion relative to eachother, the array may implement a method for continually or continuouslybeam-steering or tracking the free-space optical side channel links withthe precision necessary for reliable inter-nodal connectivity throughthe side channel links. When the various nodes of the array are inrelative motion, the coupling of the free-space links into a fiber orother optical waveguide of the individual nodes is likely to experiencesignificant variations due to a number of factors, including vibrationand rapid random motion. This will be particularly true if thefree-space coupling elements are mechanical gimbals withmechanically-limited response speeds. The amplifiers 820 and 845 may beconfigured to play an important role, that of equalizing the couplingvariations. For example, the receive optical amplifier 820 may have alarge margin of excess gain, and include or be followed by a high-speedprogrammable optical attenuator. The electronics portion of the node 805can then analyze the power of the received signal, for example, thepower of the first component 816 or the second component 817, and adjustthe programmable optical attenuator to keep the signal strength betweenpredetermined limits. Other automatic gain control and similartechniques may be used.

A feature of the embodiments described above is that the Transit Slavemode is a bypass mode, in which the signal (or the second component 817of the signal) of the side channel link through the optical splitterremains in the analog domain, with reasonable power control. If thetransit signal were converted to a digital signal, the clock propertiesof the intermediate nodes would be superimposed on the signaltransmitted by the node, making it difficult or impossible to alignaccurately the clocks at the end point. This problem is avoided if thetransit portion of the node through which the side channel link signaltravels remains independent of the internal clock of the node throughwhich the signal passes.

As has already been mentioned, the alignment/synchronization informationmay be transmitted over the side channel links as analog RF-over-opticalsignals. While distribution of data across the nodes of the array mayalso be needed (e.g., data to be transmitted cooperatively by the nodesto a target, array maintenance data, etc.), it is the RF carrier that isused to align/synchronize the nodes at either end of an optical channellink.

Digital signals, including high data rate communication signals, mayalso be sent directly over the optical side channel links. For example,the back-and-forth array alignment/synchronization signals may be sentas RF-over-optics, while higher-layer control signals and the data forthe target may be sent as binary codes over a separate channel and haveno need to be part of the RF-over-optics channel, though stilltravelling over the same optical side channel link. Examples of thehigher-layer control signals include the signaling for keeping theoptical power at predetermined levels, and signals used to turn thearray on and off. The high speed communication data from the array tothe target may also be distributed on separate high performanceinter-nodal channels that are distinct from the side channel links usedfor alignment/synchronization and/or higher-layer control signals.

In summary, the array operational process may need to perform threebasic functions with widely-varying bandwidth and timing requirements:(1) node alignment/synchronization, (2) control signaling, and (3) datadistribution or collection. It may be quite challenging to place all thepipes onto a single RF link. An optical link, however, may be moresuited for multiple pipes. For example, an optical link can put thedifferent pipes on separate high bandwidth WDM wavelengths.

FIG. 9 illustrates selected aspects of such design. Here, n separateside channel links are shown, one side channel link per slave node. (Theside channel links may be the links 120/520/620 or any other opticalside channel links such as shown in the figures and/or discussed in thisdocument.) Each side channel link has three separate optical pipes.First, there are end-to-end analog optical pipes 911 on a firstwavelength λ₁, with no components clocked by Transit Slave nodes. Theoptical pipes 911 may be implemented with RF-over-optics, and may beused for the End Point slave node clock alignment as explained above.

Second, there are relatively low-bandwidth (e.g., 10 MHz) pipes 912 on asecond wavelength λ₂, for sending back and forth data for the higherlevel control processes that are used during the nodealignment/synchronization. If the corresponding analog pipe channel (thechannel on the analog pipe 911 that goes to the same End Point node toperform frequency and time rate alignment/synchronization) is also usedto align the clocks, that is, to set the clocks to the same actual time,time-stamp data may be sent over the pipes 912.

Third pipes 913 may be relatively high-bandwidth optical pipes fordistributing communication data that is to be transmitted by the arrayto the target, or collecting the data received by the array, or otherdata-intensive inter-nodal communications. These pipes may allow asingle node (which may be the master node, or another node) to receivethe data to be transmitted and then to distribute this data to thedifferent nodes that are members of the array. In examples, the pipes913 may operate at 1 Gb/s and higher rates.

The embodiments of FIGS. 8 and 9 are optical interconnectimplementations; analogous functions can be defined for guided acousticand even guided RF modes as well as hard wired systems, as long as themedium can be used simultaneously in both the Transit and the End Pointmodes. Acoustic interconnects may be particularly important inunderwater applications.

In embodiments, some or all of the nodes of the array may be configuredto function as Transit Slaves. In embodiments, some or all of the nodesmay be configured to function as both End Point slave nodes and TransitSlave nodes. In embodiments, each node may be configured to function asan End Point slave node, as a Transit Slave node, and as a master node.

One of the challenges that need to be addressed for analogRF-over-optics channel implementation is that an RF signal may bebipolar (i.e., positive and negative), whereas an optical signal is apower signal (rather than amplitude signal) and consequently has nonegative component. This mismatch may be resolved by using an input RFsignal to modulate an optical power signal, as follows. First, an inputRF signal is signal-conditioned. This includes normalizing the input RFsignal to a predetermined amplitude “A” at about 0 VDC average, andlevel-shifting the normalized RF signal by a predetermined DC value.Normalization may be performed, for example, by an automatic gaincontrol (AGC) circuit, and/or a saturated amplifier. Level-shifting maybe performed by adding a predetermined DC voltage, for example, adding avoltage of the amplitude A or greater, to raise the signal to a levelwhere it can be directly mapped/modulated onto optical power, without anegative component. The modulated optical component may then betransmitted by an appropriate WDM channel link, for example. At the endof the link (e.g., fiber, free-space optical) the received signal may beconverted back into the RF domain. Conversion may be performed, forexample, by a photodiode. The signal's DC component may then be removedby an appropriate bandpass filter (BPF), at which point the RF signal isavailable to the End Point node. This technique eliminates any directeffects from the optical phase. Coherent detection need not be used inthis process.

Doppler shift of optical and RF signals may become a complication inapplications where the collaborative array nodes are in motion relativeto each other. In particular, Doppler shift may create problems forclock alignment/synchronization, because there is no simple way todistinguish between a Doppler-shifted frequency offset and a frequencyoffset due to clock misalignment. Fortunately, there are ways tocompensate for the Doppler effects during alignment/synchronization.

For example, it may be possible to measure the Doppler shift due to therelative motion of the array nodes independently, by a Doppler detectionsystem that may include velocity sensors, such as GPS sensors. Themeasured frequency offsets may then be corrected before alignment isperformed.

As another example, a known pilot frequency pair may be added to eachsignal before transmission between array members. The frequencydifference between the pair should remain constant if the clocks aresimply offset. On the other hand, the difference should increase if theclock frequency shift is due to Doppler. The Doppler shift may then becomputed from the measured change in the frequency difference betweenthe pilots.

In still another example, the array implements a Doppler monitor usingoptical signals carried on the optical side channel links. Dopplermeasurements using optical and RF signals are known (for example, intraffic law enforcement), but they usually require not onlyhigh-precision clocks, but also availability of a reflected signal thatcan be mixed with the emitted signal to produce a beat frequency. If theoptical signal is terminated at a photodiode, Doppler may not be readilymeasured, because of the absence of a reflected signal. Nevertheless,because of the wavelength stability of optical sources and becauseDoppler shift is proportional to the frequency, a node maymeasure/estimate Doppler shift of the received optical signal with arelatively high degree of precision.

Doppler shift is proportional to both (1) the relative velocity, and (2)the frequency of the signal, as shown by the equation

${{\Delta \; f} = {f\frac{v}{c}}},$

where Δf represents the Doppler shift, f represents the frequency, c isthe speed of light, and a is the relative velocity along the linebetween the two nodes. The optical signal should therefore exhibit amuch greater Doppler shift than the RF signal, which in turn shouldexhibit a greater Doppler shift than the baseband data carried by the RFsignal. There may be five orders of magnitude difference between theoptical and RF frequencies. An optical Doppler monitor may operate usingan optical wavelength of one of the side channel links. Alternatively,an additional optical wavelength may be used on the side channel link asa Doppler channel, to measure node displacement and speed duringalignment/synchronization.

Once the Doppler shift is known at an optical frequency, it can bescaled down to the RF frequency, and then inverted to correct theDoppler shift of the RF signal. FIG. 10 illustrates selected steps of anexemplary process 1000 for Doppler compensation. In step 1005, the EndPoint node determines the uncorrected frequency offset between its clockreference (e.g., LO) and the clock reference (e.g., LO) of the Masternode. For example, the End Point node may count the number of RFoscillations of a known, predetermined frequency emitted by the Masternode, within a predetermined time period. As is discussed throughoutthis document, the RF oscillations may be received directly from theMaster node (for example, on an RF-over-optical side channel link); orthrough one or more intermediate nodes, but without the intermediatenodes re-clocking the signal. If the RF is 1 GHz and the period is 1second, for instance, one billion oscillations would be expected. If theEnd Point node counted 1,000,002,000 oscillations, it could be concludedthat the uncorrected offset was two parts per million, with the EndPoint having the slower of the two clocks. But this number has not yetbeen corrected for the Doppler shift; thus, the uncorrected offset at RFfrequency (Δf_(RFuncor)) is equal to the sum of the actual clock offsetat RF (Δf_(RFclock)) and the Doppler shift at RF (Δf_(RFD)):Δf_(RFuncor)=Δf_(RFclock)+Δf_(RFD). Equivalently,Δf_(RFclock)=Δf_(RFuncor)−Δf_(RFD).

In step 1210, the End Point node would determine the Doppler shiftbetween itself and the Master node at an optical frequency. For example,the End Point node may be configured to measure and store the long-termfrequency offset between its optical source at a specific wavelength,and the counterpart optical source of the Master node, and then measurethe difference between the current offset and the long-term offset. Theoptical frequency difference (Δf_(Opt)) between the current opticaloffset and the long-term optical offset may be attributable to theDoppler shift.

In step 1215, the End Point node scales the optical frequency differenceto the equivalent Doppler shift at the RF frequency (Δf_(RFD)@1 GHz inthis example). Because the Doppler shift is proportional to frequency,this is a matter of division: Δf_(RFD)=Δf_(Opt)×(F_(RF)/F_(Opt)), whereF_(RF) is the RF frequency (again, 1 GHz here), and F_(Opt) is theoptical frequency at which the Doppler shift was measured (for example,10¹⁴ Hz).

In step 1220, the actual clock offset at RF (Δf_(RFclock)) is computedfrom the measured uncorrected offset at RF frequency (Δf_(RFuncor)) andthe measured and scaled Doppler offset at RF frequency (Δf_(RFD)):Δf_(RFclock)=Δf_(RFuncor)−Δf_(RFD).

In step 1225, the LO of the End Point node is corrected. This may bedone in various ways, actually (by adjusting the LO or a localsynthesizer) and/or computationally. For example, the LO may be tuned toreduce or eliminate the LO offset from the LO of the master; aprogrammable synthesizer may be programmed to effect the requiredfrequency offset; a mixing process may be used to obtain the compensatedLO at the End Point node.

The process 1000 then ends in flow point 1099, to be repeated as needed.

Once the nodes of the array are aligned/synchronized, they may usetime-reversal (TR) to retrodirect energy automatically back to thetarget(s). In this way, the array of nodes may be able to capturesignals from the target or targets, and achieve spatio-temporallocation-focusing of the energy on the targets. The nodes of the arraymay also or instead be configured for directional beamforming.

Some definitions have been explicitly provided in this document. Otherand further implicit definitions and clarifications of definitions maybe found throughout this document.

While the examples in this document focus on transmission from the arrayof untethered ad hoc nodes to one or more targets, analogous alignmentof untethered ad hoc nodes of an array may also serve to receive atransmission from the target to the array. Furthermore, examples ofinter-nodal communications may be useful for other nodes, such as nodesthat are tethered, that is, nodes that are generally stationary withrespect to each other, but which have individual clocks. The RF channelsbetween such nodes may be varying, for example, due to changes in theenvironment surrounding the nodes, such as movement of objects thatcause signal reflections, signal phase shift, and signal attenuation.

The features described throughout this document may be presentindividually, or in any combination or permutation, except wherepresence or absence of specific elements/limitations is inherentlyrequired, explicitly indicated, or otherwise made clear from thecontext.

Although the process steps and decisions (if decision blocks arepresent) may be described serially in this document, certain stepsand/or decisions may be performed by separate elements in conjunction orin parallel, asynchronously or synchronously, in a pipelined manner, orotherwise. There is no particular requirement that the steps anddecisions be performed in the same order in which this description liststhem or the Figures show them, except where a specific order isinherently required, explicitly indicated, or is otherwise made clearfrom the context. Furthermore, not every illustrated step and decisionblock may be required in every embodiment in accordance with theconcepts described in this document, while some steps and decisionblocks that have not been specifically illustrated may be desirable ornecessary in some embodiments in accordance with the concepts. It shouldbe noted, however, that specific embodiments/variants/examples use theparticular order(s) in which the steps and decisions (if applicable) areshown and/or described.

The instructions (machine executable code) corresponding to the methodsteps of the embodiments, variants, and examples disclosed in thisdocument may be embodied directly in hardware, in software, in firmware,or in combinations thereof. A software module may be stored in volatilememory, flash memory, Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically ProgrammableROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), hard disk,a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or other form of non-transitory storage mediumknown in the art. Exemplary storage medium or media may be coupled toone or more processors so that the one or more processors can readinformation from, and write information to, the storage medium or media.In an alternative, the storage medium or media may be integral to one ormore processors.

This document describes in detail the inventive apparatus, methods, andarticles of manufacture for communications and other techniques usingdistributed cooperating/collaborative nodes. This was done forillustration purposes and, therefore, the foregoing description is notnecessarily intended to limit the spirit and scope of the invention(s)described. Neither the specific embodiments of the invention(s) as awhole, nor those of their features necessarily limit the generalprinciples underlying the invention(s). The specific features describedherein may be used in some embodiments, but not in others, withoutdeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention(s) as set forthherein. Various physical arrangements of components and various stepsequences also fall within the intended scope of the invention(s). Manyadditional modifications are intended in the foregoing disclosure, andit will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent artthat in some instances some features will be employed in the absence ofa corresponding use of other features. The embodiments described aboveare illustrative and not necessarily limiting, although they or theirselected features may be limiting for some claims. The illustrativeexamples therefore do not necessarily define the metes and bounds of theinvention(s) and the legal protection afforded the invention(s).

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of synchronizing an array of nodes, themethod comprising steps of: receiving a first non-radio frequency(non-RF) signal carrying a first radio frequency (RF) signal from amaster node of the array, the step of receiving the first non-RF signalbeing performed at a first transit node of the array over a first non-RFside channel link, the first RF signal including properties of a localreference of the master node; dividing the first non-RF signal into afirst portion of the first non-RF signal and a second portion of thefirst non-RF signal, the first portion of the first non-RF signalcarrying a first portion of the first RF signal, the second portion ofthe first non-RF signal carrying a second portion of the first RFsignal, the first portion of the first RF signal including theproperties of the local reference of the master node, the second portionof the first RF signal including the properties of the local referenceof the master node; passing the first portion of the first non-RF signalthrough the first transit node to at least a first end point node of thearray without imposing clock properties of the first transit node on thefirst portion of the first non-RF signal; synchronizing local referenceof the first end point node to the local reference of the master nodeusing the properties of the local reference of the master node includedin the first portion of the first RF-signal, the step of synchronizingthe local reference of the first end point node to the local referenceof the master node comprising frequency and phase alignment of the firstend point node to the master node; and synchronizing local reference ofthe first transit node to the local reference of the master node usingthe properties of the local reference of the master node included in thesecond portion of the first RF signal, the step of synchronizing thelocal reference of the first transit node to the local reference of themaster node comprising frequency and phase alignment of the firsttransit node to the master node; wherein: each node of the master node,the first transit node, and the end point node comprises a separateclock; and each of the master node, the first transit node, and the endpoint node is free to move in at least one dimension with respect toother nodes of the master node, the first transit node, and the endpoint node.
 2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising: terminatingthe second portion of the first non-RF signal at the first transit node.3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the step of terminating isperformed concurrently with the step of passing the first portion of thefirst non-RF signal.
 4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the step ofpassing the first portion of the first non-RF signal comprisesindirectly passing the first portion of the first non-RF signal to thefirst end point node via a second transit node of the array.
 5. Themethod as in claim 4, further comprising synchronizing local referenceof the second transit node to the local reference of the master nodeusing the properties of the local reference of the master node includedin the first portion of the first RF-signal, the step of synchronizingthe local reference of the second transit node to the local reference ofthe master node comprising frequency and phase alignment of the secondtransit node to the master node.
 6. The method as in claim 3, whereinthe step of passing the first portion of the first non-RF signalcomprises directly passing the first portion of the first non-RF signalto the first end point node.
 7. The method as in claim 3, furthercomprising: receiving the first portion of the first non-RF signal at asecond end point node of the array; and synchronizing local reference ofsecond end point node to the local reference of the master node usingthe properties of the local reference of the master node included in thefirst portion of the first RF-signal, the step of synchronizing thelocal reference of the second end point node to the local reference ofthe master node comprising frequency and phase alignment of the secondend point node.
 8. The method as in claim 3, wherein: the step ofsynchronizing the local reference of the first end point node to thelocal reference of the master node further comprises time alignment ofthe first end point node to the master node; and the step ofsynchronizing the local reference of the first transit node to the localreference of the master node further comprises time alignment of thefirst transit node to the master node.
 9. A method as in claim 3,wherein the step of dividing comprises separating the first portion ofthe first non-RF signal from the second portion of the first non-RFsignal using an optical power splitter.
 10. A method as in claim 3,wherein the step of dividing comprises separating the first portion ofthe first non-RF signal from the second portion of the first non-RFsignal using an optical wavelength filter.
 11. The method as in claim 3,wherein the each of the master node, the first transit node, and the endpoint node is free to move in at least two dimensions with respect toother nodes of the master node, the first transit node, and the endpoint node.
 12. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the master node,the first transit node, and the end point node is free to move in threedimensions with respect to other nodes of the master node, the firsttransit node, and the end point node.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the first non-RF side channel link is a free-space optical link,and each node of the array is free to move in three dimensions and freeto rotate around a plurality of axes.
 14. The method as in claim 3,wherein: the step of passing comprises transmitting the first portion ofthe first non-RF signal to the first end point node over a second non-RFside channel link; and the first non-RF side channel link and the secondnon-RF side channel link are RF-over-optics links.
 15. The method as inclaim 3, wherein: the step of passing comprises transmitting the firstportion of the first non-RF signal to the end point node over a secondnon-RF side channel link; and the first non-RF side channel link and thesecond non-RF side channel link are RF-over-acoustic links.
 16. Acommunication method comprising steps of: synchronizing the array nodesas in claim 3; distributing across the array common data fortransmission to a target; operating all nodes of the array as a phasedarray to transmit to the target RF signals carrying the common data. 17.A communication method comprising steps of: synchronizing the arraynodes as in claim 3; distributing across the array common data fortransmission to a target; coherently transmitting from all nodes of thearray to the target RF signals carrying the common data, so that thesignals carrying the common data add constructively at the target, thestep of coherently transmitting comprising location-focusing usingtime-reversal.
 18. An array of nodes, comprising: a master nodecomprising a master node processor, a master node radio frequency (RF)transceiver coupled to the master node processor, a master node localreference, and a master node non-radio frequency (non-RF) transceivercoupled to the master node processor, wherein the master node isconfigured by the master node processor to emit a non-RF signal over anon-RF side channel link, the non-RF signal carrying an RF signalincluding properties of the master node local reference; a first transitnode comprising a first transit node processor, a first transit node RFtransceiver coupled to the first transit node processor, a first transitnode local reference, and a first transit node non-RF processing modulecoupled to the first transit node processor, wherein the first transitnode non-RF processing module comprises a first transit node non-RFtransceiver configured to receive from free-space the non-RF signal, afirst transit node non-RF splitter configured to separate the non-RFsignal into a first non-RF component terminated at the first transitnode and a second non-RF component passed through the first transit nodeinto free-space without properties of the first transit node localreference being imposed on the second non-RF component, and firsttransit node electronic circuitry configured to obtain from the firstnon-RF component data in the non-RF signal, wherein the first non-RFcomponent comprises a first RF portion of the RF signal that includesthe properties of the master node local reference and the second non-RFcomponent comprises a second RF portion of the RF signal that includesthe properties of the master node local reference, and wherein the firsttransit node is configured by the first transit node processor tosynchronize the first transit node local reference to the master nodelocal reference using the properties of the master node local referenceincluded in the non-RF signal received by the first transit node; afirst end point node comprising a first end point node processor, afirst end point node RF transceiver coupled to the first end point nodeprocessor, a first end point node local reference, and a first end pointnode non-RF transceiver coupled to the first end point node processor,wherein the first end point node is configured by the first end pointnode processor to receive from free-space a first part of the secondnon-RF component passed through the first transit node using the firstend point node non-RF transceiver and synchronize the first end pointnode local reference to the master node local reference using theproperties of the master node local reference in the second RF portionof the second non-RF component, the first part of the second non-RFcomponent comprising a first part of the second RF portion of the RFsignal; wherein: each node of the first transit node, the master node,and the first end point node is free to move in at least one dimensionwith respect to other nodes of the first transit node, the master node,and the first end point node.
 19. The array of nodes as in claim 18,wherein said each node of the first transit node, the master node, andthe first end point node is free to move in at least two dimensions withrespect to the other nodes of the first transit node, the master node,and the first end point node.
 20. The array of nodes as in claim 18,wherein said each node of the first transit node, the master node, andthe first end point node is free to move in three dimensions withrespect to the other nodes of the first transit node, the master node,and the first end point node.
 21. The array of nodes as in claim 20,wherein said each node of the first transit node, the master node, andthe first end point node is free to rotate around a plurality of axes.22. The array of nodes as in claim 21, wherein: the first transit node,the master node, and the first end point node are configured to transmitto a target coherent RF signals carrying common data, so that thecoherent RF signals carrying the common data add constructively in ageneral direction from the array to the target, whereby the array ofnodes is configured to operate as a phased array.
 23. The array of nodesas in claim 21, wherein the first transit node, the master node, and thefirst end point node are configured as a time-reversal mirror totransmit to a target coherent RF signals carrying common data so thatthe coherent RF signals carrying the common data add constructively atthe target.
 24. The array of nodes as in claim 18, further comprising: asecond transit node, the second transit node comprising a second transitnode processor, a second transit node RF transceiver coupled to thesecond transit node processor, a second transit node local reference,and a second transit node non-RF processing module coupled to the secondtransit node processor, the second transit node non-RF processing modulecomprising a second transit node non-RF transceiver, a second transitnode non-RF splitter, and second transit node electronic circuitry;wherein: the first end point node receives the first part of the secondnon-RF component passed through the first transit node indirectlythrough the second transit node; and the second transit node isconfigured by the second transit node processor to synchronize thesecond transit node local reference to the master node local referenceusing the properties of the master node local reference included in thesecond non-RF signal.
 25. The array of nodes as in claim 18, furthercomprising: a second end point node, the second end point nodecomprising a second end point node processor, a second end point node RFtransceiver coupled to the second end point node processor, a second endpoint node local reference, and a second end point node non-RFprocessing module coupled to the second end point node processor;wherein: the second end point node is configured to receive fromfree-space a second part of the second non-RF component passed throughthe first transit node, and to perform synchronization of the localreference of the second end point node to the local reference of themaster node using the properties of the local reference of the masternode carried by the second RF portion, the synchronization comprisingfrequency, phase, and time alignment of the second end point node. 26.The array of nodes as in claim 18, wherein the non-RF side channel linkis an RF-over-optical link.
 27. The array of nodes as in claim 18,wherein the non-RF side channel link is an RF-over-acoustic link.